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600-Plus Dead, 3,000 Missing After Catastrophic Flood Along China's Border With Nepal; Legal Battle Mounts Over Trump's Order To Limit Mail Voting; Dozens Dead Near Kyiv After Russia Drone Attack. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired August 29, 2026 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[18:01:03]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I am Danny Freeman in New York.

And breaking tonight: Rescue efforts are underway following devastating flash floods and landslides along China's border with Nepal. Some villages in the region have been completely wiped out. Nepali authorities say at least 675 people have been killed along the Himalayan region, and thousands more are missing.

Now, earlier tonight, I spoke with a woman whose husband is on a hiking trip in Nepal with nine friends, all U.S. citizens. She says she has not heard from him in more than 80 hours. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SNEHA SUDHIR, HUSBAND MISSING IN NEPAL: The minute I got the news, of course, the first thought was, of course, it is not us. So I would start hearing from him in some time. Of course, the connectivity is lost, but the minute I would start sending him a message or start calling him, so probably next hour or so, I should start hearing them.

So it is going to be coming soon, just not us -- or these guys are not in the place where all this thing is happening. So that was my initial thought. And -- but then yes, it looks like I don't know where they are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: Nepal's Army says more than 2,500 people have been rescued by air, and 200 more have been rescued by ground. Now, this coming up is new video from Nepal's police showing the moment a young girl was rescued. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(PEOPLE speaking in foreign language.)

(END VIDEO CLIP) FREEMAN: Just incredible video there.

Authorities say she is being treated now after resting overnight at a rescue camp.

Joining us now from Nepal is CNN International correspondent, Hanako Montgomery.

Hanako, thank you so much for joining us so late at the night there. What is the latest you're hearing and seeing?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Danny, on Saturday, we were with the Nepali authorities as they were conducting a search and recovery mission in Devighat, which is one of the areas up here in the mountains that was pretty hard hit. I mean, entire homes submerged in mud. We saw peoples belongings, all of their livelihood, essentially strewn in the debris outside their homes.

And in this village, we also spoke to a survivor who had come back to his home to see just what little of his life was left behind. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MONTGOMERY: In just a matter of moments, this entire village around me was completely destroyed. All of these homes torn apart by massive waves. We are here with the Nepali Police and Army on a search and recovery mission because they think they found another body, and actually, just moments ago, they did find one.

We, of course, can't show it to you, but they told us that because it was so badly decomposed, they couldn't even identify who it was.

And I mean, if you just take a look, this is devastation everywhere. There are some survivors. But of course, many who didn't make it out alive. And because this is so close to the river, you can only imagine the fear that they were feeling and experiencing as they saw that torrent of mud and water coming towards them.

[18:05:10]

And they probably had only a matter of seconds, maybe minutes to make it out alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MONTGOMERY: And Danny, we spoke to a survivor, Sudeep Nepal (ph), who again was living very close to the river and he told us that he was actually eating a meal with his parents when he saw the flood water coming towards his village, and once he saw that flood water coming towards him, like he said, a tsunami, he ran with his parents up the mountain near their home, and he said that at times he couldn't run because his legs had turned to jelly. That's how frightened he was.

And he wasn't able to grab any of his belongings. He only had the t- shirt on his back and sandals, but fortunately, he says, he was able to make it out alive with his family. Because, of course, many others in Nepal weren't able to escape that deadly flood water coming in. And now, we are seeing, of course, many families trying to identify their loved ones as they are being extracted from the debris and the heavy mud over the past few days -- Danny.

FREEMAN: Just absolutely terrifying.

Hanako Montgomery in Nepal, please stay safe and thank you for your outstanding reporting. Really do appreciate it.

And among the thousands missing are nearly 900 Nepali hydropower workers caught in sudden -- rather, caught in the sudden deluge.

CNN anchor, Anderson Cooper reports now from Kathmandu -- Anderson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER: 360": A number of several hundred, at least 900 workers at a hydropower plant had not been tallied in that earlier toll of the number of people missing so those 900 workers at hydropower plants, they are still now missing.

We did see this incredible rescue that we are looking at the video right now of some workers from some of these tunnels inside these very, very remote hydropower plants, but this is a real area of concern for Nepal.

And, you know, to get -- to rescue people from tunnels like this that may have been flooded, it is a very specialized kind of search and rescue operation. They have now, Nepal had not been inviting or asking for search and rescue teams from other countries, but now they have been and teams from China, India and South Korea, particularly ones who specialize in tunnel excavations and tunnel rescues, they are now here, actually flew in on a plane that the team from South Korea was flying in on.

So those operations hopefully will be ramping up, but the situation for some of these workers in these tunnels, obviously, if they are still alive, would be incredibly dire, and these are very, very remote areas where these plants are.

There were some 14 hydropower plants, which were wiped out by this rushing flood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREEMAN: Wow! Anderson Cooper, thank you so much for that report.

Now, the landslides caused new lakes in the area to form, prompting concerns about additional flooding in the region.

CNN's Tom Foreman is at the magic wall with more now on this new threat.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Danny, this is a whole new concern for the folks out there who are trying to rescue and recover people who were lost. India, Nepal, China, up here. This is where it happened, right in here, Mount Everest down this way by the way, just in case you're wondering. And if we look at what happened here, the belief from researchers is that this glacier over here collapsed and created a landslide that just sent sort of a liquid shock wave running all down through here.

And if, in fact, we go in here and take a look at the before and after, this was before. When I move it over, you can see just how tremendous this was, how huge the impact was of this collapse.

But you can also see something else that is very important to note right now, right here and right here. Those are lakes that have formed from more water running down, and they've been captured by debris there. The worry is that that debris could give way if the lakes get big enough and heavy enough, the pressure could burst through and send more water going down.

Another shock wave of water right through all the people who are doing the rescue and recovery work all down in here. That is the big worry. These lakes are a real deal. If you take a look at some video of it, you can see how this is all built up in here with scree and different things, and they are forming back in areas like this.

The government wants to put in more cameras, more monitors to try to keep track of this.

[18:10:00]

But in the meantime, what they're saying to the crews out there is, even as you do this delicate and really sad work, you have to be ready at any moment to run and get to higher ground if they see another flash flood coming down the way -- Danny.

FREEMAN: And Tom Foreman, thank you so much for that report. Unthinkable almost that more flooding could be on the way.

But of course more heavy rain is forecast for parts of Nepal, including some that were devastated by the deadly flooding.

CNN's Allison Chinchar has more on the forecast for the many people in this already fragile area over the next few days -- Allison.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The last thing this area needs is the potential for additional flooding. Unfortunately, there are rain showers expected in the forecast over the next several days. You can see through Sunday afternoon and Sunday evening, we've get another round of showers that makes its way through, same thing for Monday and even into Tuesday.

Both of those days are likely going to have breaks in the morning before we start to see activity, pick back up in the afternoon and evening hours, which is really kind of the main timeline for this general area, because we are right in the middle of monsoon season. August is the second wettest month of the year. And for many of these areas, they will likely pick up 50 to 100 millimeters a day over the next few days. That's roughly two to four inches. So again, you're talking about a lot of rain and a lot of that starts to build back up, bringing more rain to a lot of those river valleys that you've seen in many of the images and videos.

The big concern, too, is also where a lot of the mudflows have occurred. That area, when it hardens, turns to an almost concrete like material. But once you add water back into the mix from rain showers, it liquefies, making it very unstable and very dangerous for a lot of the rescue and recovery crews to come in. Not to mention it just continues to cause more messes and potentially increase the likelihood of additional flooding.

FREEMAN: Allison, thank you for that reporting.

And of course, if you want to know how you personally can help the people in Nepal affected by this disaster, you can go to cnn.com/impact or scan the Q.R. code here on your screen.

Still to come, new tonight, a deadly blast near Kyiv. A Russian drone strike ignites an ammunition warehouse, killing dozens. And Ukraine investigates why explosives were stored near homes.

And straight ahead, a midterm mail-in voting showdown. The White House with another legal stall to President Trump's controversial executive order. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:17:09]

FREEMAN: It is now just over two months until the midterm elections, but the legal battles are far from over when it comes to voting by mail. A federal judge in Boston has temporarily blocked the U.S. Postal Service from carrying out President Trump's executive order to limit mail-in voting. The administration is appealing that ruling.

President Trump's order would give the USPS an unprecedented role in deciding whether to send mail ballots.

We are joined now by the CEO and founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, David Becker.

David, thank you so much for joining us on a Saturday evening. Let's start here. Should voters have faith that if they choose to vote by mail, their vote will be counted.

DAVID BECKER, CEO AND FOUNDER, CENTER FOR ELECTION INNOVATION AND RESEARCH: For sure, the answer is yes. If they choose to vote by mail, if that's the way they prefer to vote, I believe the rules for voting by mail are going to be the same as voters have experienced and enjoyed in recent past elections -- 2024, 2022, 2020.

The executive order that the President signed after primaries had already started in 2026, that has been blocked now by that federal district court, as you mentioned in Boston. There is a preliminary injunction hearing next week which will formalize, I believe, that blocking of the order.

There will be appeals, no doubt, undoubtedly, to the First Circuit Court of Appeals and ultimately, to the Supreme Court. And while this is very -- this executive order is on very flimsy legal grounds. I mean, the President just doesn't have the power to dictate to states how they run their elections, whether or not they can send mail ballots out in any way. He can't tell the Postal Service to inject themselves into that process.

But besides that, it is just too late. It could not be possible to implement this order. States are already preparing to send ballots out. Ballots are going to start going out next week. Every single state will have sent ballots out to at least to military and overseas voters by the middle of September. So I believe the courts will continue to block this for this election and voters should be able to vote by mail if that's how they choose to.

They, of course, also have very ample opportunities to vote early in person and vote on Election Day.

FREEMAN: So just to be clear, you feel confident at this point that this ongoing legal battle will ultimately not, or at least this specific legal battle, I should say, will not impact the elections, because as you noted, they are happening so close to November.

BECKER: Yes, I feel very confident. Again, this order cannot be constitutionally justified. The founders were very clear in the Constitution. Article I, Section 4, that the power to regulate elections resides with the states, and if the federal government is going to get involved, it has to be through Congress and Congress only.

If the President wants to change election policy, he has to persuade Congress to act. He cannot just with a swipe of a pen, tell states how to run elections. But that said, it is also too late.

And the Supreme Court, even when they stayed the original injunction that had been issued against this order said they were not making any decisions on the merits of the case itself.

[18:20:10]

They had just said at that moment it was too early. Now, the Postal Service has finalized its rule. There is no question that it is timely to bring this case. I expect that this order blocking the executive order for 2026 will stand.

FREEMAN: David, can you take us back to look at the big picture here? What do you think the Trump administration is trying to achieve with this move? And I ask this because, you know, I live and report in Pennsylvania, and the narrative continues to be from so many Republicans on the ground that they still wish that a lot of Republicans actually got on board with mail-in voting so that they could play ball in some of these more competitive races.

So what do you think the Trump administration is trying to do here? BECKER: You know, Danny, I have no idea because I hear that all the time as well. If you're a campaign, you want your voters to cast ballots as early as possible, either in person or by mail, because then you can cross them off the list and direct your attention to getting more of your other voters out.

Republicans have used vote by mail very effectively, as have Democrats over the course of decades. We've had voting by mail in this country since at least the Civil War. And many states -- Arizona, Utah, Montana, Idaho, others -- have a lot of vote by mail that have been pushed by Republican Legislatures.

So it is unclear what the point of this all is. If any of these executive orders or restrictions were in place, it is very likely it would most harm voters who are older, voters who are rural, military voters, voters who don't have a choice but to vote by mail and it could be that those voters skew Republican.

It should also be noted that just in this year alone, just in the last six months, President Trump himself has voted by mail twice in Florida, once when he was at least once when he was physically present in Palm Beach and could have voted in person at an early voting site.

So this is something that has been accepted by all voters across the country, Republicans and Democrats, embraced by those who choose to vote in that method, and it is unclear this is ever going to become law. I don't think it will be.

If Congress wants to act, that's a different matter, but the President just simply does not have this power.

FREEMAN: David Becker, thank you so much for breaking down all of that for us and for hopefully letting folks know that at least this particular legal battle probably will not impact their vote come November. Appreciate your time this evening.

BECKER: All right, thank you.

FREEMAN: Still to come, President Trump said the war with Iran would only last a few weeks. Well, now, six months later, it is at a stalemate. We are going to take a look at the Trump administration's latest strategy.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:27:05]

FREEMAN: At least 37 people in Ukraine were killed overnight by a Russian drone attack. It is one of the deadliest attacks near Kyiv since Russia's full scale invasion more than four years ago.

Explosions and a large fire were seen after the Russian drone hit an ammunition warehouse near a residential area. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the munitions should never have been stored so close to where people were living, and vowed to punish those responsible.

CNN's Barbie Nadeau has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN ROME CORRESPONDENT: Scores of people were killed and dozens more injured in the immediate aftermath of a deadly jet powered drone attack on the outskirts of Kyiv on Saturday.

President Zelenskyy, in his daily address, said the strike had hit a storage facility housing ammunition, which was located close to people's homes.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It is a horrific situation and there has been an appalling negligence by those who stored explosive materials right next to where people were living.

My condolences go out to all the families and loved ones. The rubble is still being cleared. The death toll, unfortunately may rise.

Dozens of people have been injured, including locals and rescue workers.

NADEAU: It is the second time in under two months that an ammunition dump in the middle of a residential area has been struck in Ukraine and Zelenskyy said he had ordered a criminal investigation.

But the strike did not come out of the blue. Even by recent standards, the city of Kyiv and the surrounding areas have been under a very heavy aerial attack for the last three days.

According to a CNN tally, the capital has recorded nearly 30 air raid alerts since Thursday, each time causing massive disruption to civilian life.

Alongside missiles, Russia is increasingly using these jet-powered drones to carry out its strikes. These can fly at speeds of up to 500 kilometers or 310 miles an hour, easily evading Ukraine's air and land defenses, highlighting once again Ukraine's desperate need for U.S. made Patriot interceptors, in particular.

Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREEMAN: Barbie, thank you for that reporting.

And we are joined now by CNN military analyst, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton.

Colonel, so good to see you.

Let's talk about all of these developments.

In the last few days, there have been this sustained period of very high level strikes, specifically when it comes to drones. They are playing a big part in this.

So can you break it down for us? How are drones reshaping this war and the future of warfare?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, Danny. Great to be with you.

One of the things to think about here is that basically, the entire war effort is being robotized, if I can use that term. Basically what you're looking at is robots and drones are really taking over the entire front on both the Ukrainian side as well as the Russian side.

[18:30:04]

And this latest attack near Kyiv is an example of that. These jet- powered drones that Barbie was talking about in her reporting, those are basically one of the latest forms of the evolution of drone warfare and when you're looking at how the future of warfare is actually going to manifest itself in the next few years, you're going to see that these drones really coming out and being used in many different areas.

They are used both as weapons as well as logistical transport mechanisms. And in fact, when you go to Eastern Ukraine, you will see that there are a lot of drones that are being used on the ground that move people back and forth from one part to the other. So drones are not only here to stay, but they are definitely going to be part of warfare for the foreseeable future.

FREEMAN: Well, Colonel, let's talk a little bit more about that specific part of Ukraine, specifically the Donbas region. It has gotten a lot of attention, of course, throughout this war. It had been one of the areas of intense scrutiny where Ukrainian units are actually still defending a city there. There has been a lot happening in this aerial war.

But just -- can you explain what is happening in spots like that on the frontlines right now?

LEIGHTON Yes, so the city that were really focused on right now, Danny, is the city of Kramatorsk. It is basically right in the middle of what they call a Fortress Belt and you see it right there on the map.

It is kind of in the center of areas that the Russians are controlling. They are moving in from the East, and right now, it looks as if what the Russians are trying to do is not only take Kramatorsk, but also take other cities as part of that Fortress Belt.

Now, the danger with that happening is that that part of Ukraine now all of a sudden becomes part of the Russian occupied area and it could potentially open the way for the Russians to advance even further into other parts of Ukraine, beyond the Donbas region. But the Donbas region is the part that President Putin of Russia has coveted all of these war years you know, really since 2014, but definitely since the invasion of 2022. FREEMAN: And again, it is always good to continue to remind that this fight and this tug of war over very, very strategic parts of land with, of course, civilians and people living there continues on so long in this war.

Colonel, I want to shift gears, though, for a moment to the Iran War. We've now hit this six-month mark now. President Trump, of course, initially said this would last four to six weeks.

What is your assessment of where things stand right now? It seems like we are very much at a stalemate.

LEIGHTON: Yes, it is basically that, you know, when you look at things, you know, in the broader strategic sense, Danny, what you're looking at is Iran has exercised some degree of control over the Strait of Hormuz, in essence, what is happening is U.S. Forces are being prevented from entering the Persian Gulf itself and the amount of traffic that you see going through the Strait of Hormuz is far, far less than the amount of traffic in terms of commercial shipping. Oil tankers, container ships, all of those things far, far less than we saw before this war actually started.

So in terms of achieving strategic goals, like keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to international traffic, it is questionable whether or not we've actually, you know, kept that goal or reinvigorated that goal.

But basically what you're seeing is that the Strait of Hormuz is now vulnerable to Iranian control and it also means that the Iranians may move forward with other things, such as their nuclear program, because that program has not been completely destroyed by the U.S. or the Israeli actions when this war first started.

FREEMAN: Colonel, I want to get your perspective on something here, because one of the big things we've been talking about in the context of this war throughout the summer has been the drain of munitions that we've experienced when it comes to patriot missiles or even drones, as a matter-of-fact. "The Wall Street Journal" now reporting today that U.S. munitions have been drained so much due to the Iran War that military planners are concerned the loss in firepower will hurt America's ability to defend itself against potential threats from Russia and China.

I think this reporting is pretty stunning for a lot of folks reading it. Is this a real concern from your perspective?

LEIGHTON: Yes, it definitely is, Danny. And, you know, it is really a pain to say it because this is the kind of problem that could have actually been foreseen. You look at the types of stockpiles that you have. You look at the amount of weapons that you have in those stockpiles. You look at your expenditure rates, and you take a look and see how all of that correlates, and it is pretty clear that when you fire a lot of missiles, such as the number of Patriots that were fired in the Iran War, you can tell that we are going to run out of these types of munitions very quickly. The Patriot is a unique weapon in the sense that it is a very precise weapon and it is clearly something that is necessary not only for defending our forces in the Middle East, but also for defending the Ukrainian forces and Ukrainian civilians in Ukraine.

So this is a critical weapon where there should have been a lot of emphasis placed on the manufacturing of that weapon and that's not just the only weapon.

[18:35:10]

There are other weapons, like the THAAD system, that fall basically into that same category. These are defensive weapons, and those defensive weapons are necessary before you can really consider mounting any kind of offensive operation.

FREEMAN: Well, Colonel Cedric Leighton, as always, thank you so much for your expertise and for breaking down both of these wars as they continue on.

Appreciate your time as always.

LEIGHTON: You bet, Danny. Great to be with you.

FREEMAN: And we will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:15]

FREEMAN: In less than an hour, the biggest stage in country music, the Grand Ole Opry will hold a concert to celebrate the life of Dolly Parton. The legendary singer/songwriter died Tuesday after a brief battle with cancer.

She first took the Opry stage, get this, when she was only 13 years old. Dolly, of course, returned several times over the next six decades, becoming a country music icon and one of the Opry's most cherished performers. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(DOLLY PARTON performances at the Grand Ole Opry.)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: Just a force of nature!

Senior vice president and executive producer of the Grand Ole Opry, Dan Rogers joins us now.

Dan, thank you so much for being here on this specific special night. Just tell us, what did Dolly mean to the Opry and how will you honor her?

DAN ROGERS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE GRAND OLE OPRY: You know, Dolly meant so much to the Opry, just like she meant so much to the world. Every time she visited us, she lit up that stage like you wouldn't believe the loudest ovation I can recall ever at the Opry was when she surprised the audience one night.

And tonight, we will be dedicating our show to her memory and to remembering all the music that she has left us.

FREEMAN: You know, Dan, Dolly entered the country music scene, the industry was dominated by men. I am curious, how did her performances, specifically at the Grand Ole Opry really change things for women in country music?

ROGERS: Well, for one, she inspired so many women in country music, and I will say she inspired men in country music as well.

But tonight, for instance, we will open our show with Carly Pearce and Carly, actually had her first really professional gig at Dollywood, and then fast forward several years and it was Dolly Parton who invited Carly to become an official member of the Grand Ole Opry, and so many other women. I mean, virtually every woman in country music, and then in the genres beyond country music will say Dolly Parton is in fact their hero.

FREEMAN: I mean, yes, just the legacy that she is leaving in the form of these now iconic singers and growing. I mean, it is incredible.

So let's talk about it more specifically with the Opry. She had so many iconic performances. Of course, on that stage, as you noted. Do you have a favorite one?

ROGERS: Well, I have to say my favorite Dolly performance is the fact that the only thing I remember about my very first Opry visit, I was in kindergarten, and the only thing I remember is Dolly Parton being introduced and her just gliding out on stage like an angel and flashbulbs everywhere. So that's always going to be my treasured Dolly moment at the Opry.

But man, so many more!

FREEMAN: That's incredible. Thank you for sharing that, and tell me how -- tell me, how do you want Dolly to be remembered? I mean, the Opry is never going to forget her.

ROGERS: You know, a memorable moment with Dolly was when she sang to Porter Wagoner, "I Will Always Love You," but I think everybody will have their own treasured memory of Dolly Parton, their own favorite song and if everybody just remembers what a great soul she was and does their part to make the world a little better, I think that's what Dolly would want from all of us at the Opry and all of us everywhere.

FREEMAN: All right, I am going to put you on the spot, if you don't mind, just in the last few seconds, do you specifically have any memory of interacting with Dolly over the years?

ROGERS: Dolly was so much fun when she would come to the Opry because she was so impressive at meeting so many people as she came in the door and walked to the stage, she would spend a nanosecond with someone, but it still felt like they had had this incredible interaction with maybe the world's most beloved human being.

[18:45:12]

FREEMAN: You know, it is so tough because it is so sad. But I mean, just hearing the stories and watching the performances and listening to the music, I mean, it still makes us smile even as we are all mourning.

Dan Rogers, thank you so much for coming on to share some thoughts and look forward to the tribute tonight. I really do appreciate your time.

ROGERS: You betcha! It will be our honor to celebrate and remember Dolly Parton.

FREEMAN: You got it.

Still to come, the moment President Trump rushed to rename one of the great lakes in his trade feud with Canada. Coming up ahead, we are going to ask what Americans think about their newly named Lake America. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:50:30]

FREEMAN: Federal agencies must now refer to Lake Ontario as Lake America, following an executive order by President Trump. On Thursday, he directed the Interior Department to update the lake's name in official government documents, maps and communications.

President Trump had been floating the name change after trade talks with Canada fell apart, but he cannot force other countries to adopt the new name, and the executive order is sparking significant pushback from Canadian officials, local governments and more.

CNN's Harry Enten runs the numbers to see just how Americans are feeling about it.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Hey there, Danny. Happy Saturday to you.

You know, when it comes to weekends, I like to play games. Baseball is usually my sport and maybe a little football as we enter autumn. But the game we are going to play today is name that lake. Of course, I am talking about the lake that has traditionally been known as Lake Ontario, but President Trump says it is now Lake America.

But do Americans agree with him? Are they actually now calling it Lake America? Well, the early signs are no, Americans do not, in fact, agree with president Trump. We can see it right here in the Google searches.

Okay, searched more on Google since Thursday. Well, I looked at the Google searches in all 50 states. And guess what? In every single one of them, all 50, a 50-state sweep-a-roo, more Americans are searching for Lake Ontario, that again, is all the states, 50 states than for Lake America, which gets zero, zero, zero, zero, zero my dear friend, Danny.

Zero states -- in zero states, more people are searching for Lake America than Lake Ontario. Of course, this is not the first time that President Trump has tried to deal with Canada in a tough way, or at least a way that he sees is tough. But here is the thing, Canada has got a one up on him, even amongst the American people.

We can see it quite well right here. Okay. Net ratings among Americans confident in Trump on Canada-U.S. relations. Look at the net confidence rating. It is 15 points underwater, 15 points underwater, way under -- way under Lake Ontario. See? See what I am doing? I am bringing this whole segment together.

But take a look here. What is the net favorable rating of Canada? What is the net favorable rating of Canada among Americans? Well, it is a completely different ball game, plus 48 points. My goodness gracious, Americans far more like Canada, dare I say it, love Canada than like the way or dare I say, despise the way that President Trump is dealing with Canada. What is this? Do some quick math with me on the screen right here -- 48/15 -- what is that? That's a 63-point difference. Americans are far more likely 63 points more likely to say they have a net favorable rating of Canada than have net confidence in Trump to deal with Canada.

Now, I will say that sometimes I feel like it is deja vu all over again. You know, I mentioned baseball earlier on the segment, so I figure I will bring up a Yogi Berra-ism, deja vu all over again, because I seem to recall that President Trump, when dealing with a country on America's borders, tried to play tough with them by renaming a body of water. Oh, yes. Yes, he wanted to rename the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of America.

But you know what? As we look at slide number one, as we are looking right now in the early days of Lake Ontario, more Americans googling that than Lake America, I think that's going to hold. Why do I think that's going to hold? Because look at this. Okay. Search more on Google in the last year.

Now, we are not just talking a few days, we are talking a year's worth of google searches. Are more Americans searching for Gulf of Mexico, or are they buying President Trump and saying, no, it is the Gulf of America. Look at this, it is again, a 50-state sweep-a-roo in favor of the Gulf of Mexico, zero, zero, zero states are searching more for the Gulf of America than the Gulf of Mexico and that's not much of a surprise, because when you look at the polling, you can see it right here, I've got the nugget up here, the net approval of the idea or the name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, 35 points underwater, way down there in the Gulf of Mexico.

So I don't think this lake America name change is going to work out for the President. I think Americans are going to continue to call it Lake Ontario.

And by the way, Danny, you know what? They may not like this name change, but you know who I like? I like you.

Back to you, my friend.

[18:55:00]

FREEMAN: I like you, too, Harry. Thank you very much for that report.

All right, still to come, after a quick break, four days after catastrophic floods devastated Nepal, the rush to find survivors grows more desperate by the hour. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

FREEMAN: Hello and welcome. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I am Danny Freeman in New York!

We begin with more than 9,000 Nepali Army forces being deployed in the region as crews desperately search for thousands of missing people after the massive deadly landslides and flooding on the China-Nepal border earlier this week.

[19:00:17]